Helen in S*P

[Louisa]

Today's S*P strip strongly implies that we're about to see more of Helen over there. As someone who never really felt the Helen-hate, and who wants to see more of the P&A characters - any P&A characters - this news makes me very happy indeed. So I thought there should possibly be a thread for discussing Helen's exploits over in Randy's universe. And for letting brasca express joy over her reappearance.

Time to start your speculation: we've seen what reunion-Helen is like, but how will she get there?

[Zanosuke Kurosaki]

Fun fact: Randy's admitted he was going to do even more with her than he's already done. It's just that too many people being whiny little twits (and being way too vocal about it to him) have made him keep pushing back those plans. Then again, since this is a guy who once took the words "this comic couldn't be more of a crappier rip-off of Penny Arcade" as "oh, a challenge!" perhaps his reaction isn't too surprising.

[Alice Macher]

That's why I suspect the timing of Helen's upcoming reintroduction is deliberate. I.e., Randy may be gambling that now P&A is over, those fans who were being all "UR writin Helen wr0ng DIAF" won't be paying attention to S*P. That, or they'll be reading it with a more relaxed attitude, now that we've seen a glimpse of a future Helen who's turned out just fine and has made her peace with Penny, Aggie and Sara. It wouldn't surprise me that T wrote that in at least partially as a favour to Randy.

[Zanosuke Kurosaki]

I'd also bet that getting away from the people she's been seeing with such unclear eyes, and the ones who barely treated her like anything *coughfamilycough*, will really end up helping Helen's perspective in the long run, and help her grow towards seeing her own part in her personal issues. So I'd bet they (T and Randy) have had plans for some of this all along, really.

[brasca]

Today's S*P strip strongly implies that we're about to see more of Helen over there. As someone who never really felt the Helen-hate, and who wants to see more of the P&A characters - any P&A characters - this news makes me very happy indeed. So I thought there should possibly be a thread for discussing Helen's exploits over in Randy's universe. And for letting brasca express joy over her reappearance.

Time to start your speculation: we've seen what reunion-Helen is like, but how will she get there?

Indeed I am. I just wish I would've read S*P sooner or I could've revived the old thread myself.

Let me just say I am not one of the twits who has been critical of Millholland. I was a little nervous with that one off strip where Helen was unknowingly chatting with a Redneck Tree, but I must say I like what he's done and have confidence that I'll like this story if there is one.

When I first got involved in this forum nearly 3 years ago it was to defend a character I felt was too roundly despised and admittedly I got a little too involved and sometimes I took it personal. I still stand by most of what I wrote and think, but I will concede that many of Helen's problems were of her own making. However, she's still alive in 6 years and a better person thus proving she is capable of change. I won't gloat since most of her detractors left the board long ago.

I just want to say I like the nod to Bloom County in the background. That was one of my favorite strips when I was a kid. It introduced me to politics too.

Maybe this is just a one-off tribute to Penny & Aggie and we we'll only ever see Helen in background shots at Nerdotica, but I can live with that. Although I have been hoping that Kharisma's run from the law will take her back to Boston. Considering that she thinks Nancy is a friend even though she's not she might try to hide at her place. Perhaps seeing living proof that the people who were once big in high school can fall so hard will finally break her biased perception of Penny.

[Mr. Brightside]

...that may be the most LeaningOnTheFourthWall I've seen in a single comic...

[Zanosuke Kurosaki]

...that may be the most LeaningOnTheFourthWall I've seen in a single comic...

Randy absolutely loves doing that. I suspect half the reason he does it is to try to either A. infuriate people further, or B. remind people "it's JUST A COMIC. Get some perspective already!"

[brasca]

...that may be the most LeaningOnTheFourthWall I've seen in a single comic...

Randy absolutely loves doing that. I suspect half the reason he does it is to try to either A. infuriate people further, or B. remind people "it's JUST A COMIC. Get some perspective already!"

My personal favorite is when he was discussing JK Rowling's revelation that Dumbledore was gay to his sister and explaining how it doesn't really change anything as far as the plot is concerned by using Choo Choo Bear as an example and all the while Choo Choo hastily makes a sign reading "Choo Choo not gay. Pussy love pussy.

[Arky]

...that may be the most LeaningOnTheFourthWall I've seen in a single comic...

"I'd rather Nerdrotica not become the dumping ground for other people's damaged goods" "You sound just like Kestrel" bwahahahaha.

[griffon8]

Something Positive is one of my favorite webcomics. I've absolutely never been tempted to email him to comment, because I love what he does with the comments he gets.

"Somebody requests a Scotty story and you do his suicide?"

"Yep."

"Daaaamn! I'm never requesting a Choo-Choo Bear story from you."

[brasca]

Seeing as how Randy said he wasn't going to be including Helen in the cast I figured he'd just be resolving her storyline and this latest strip is probably confirming this as much as having fun with those who've speculated other crossover characters are joining the world of Something Positive.

That being said Helen is doing well for herself if in 2015, four years after applying to Nerdrotica, she'd be placed in a management position even on an emergency basis and Aubrey seems to like her too. Incidentally I like Helen with short hair and horn rim glasses. I wish she had kept that look. It would've thrown us off when we see her again at the reunion.

Joyce is the very last person I'd expect to see working at Nerdrotica which is both shocking and hilarious.

Any speculation as to who it might have been that went on the webcomic murder spree? Alice you are especially fond of Davan and Vanessa's relationship.

[Alice Macher]

Any speculation as to who it might have been that went on the webcomic murder spree? Alice you are especially fond of Davan and Vanessa's relationship.

I am indeed, since Vanessa is basically meee, but it'd take a LOT more than seeing her leave the strip to drive me to a murder spree. Not to mention that murdering fictional characters is kinda hard (even if they're one's own). DaSolution gave it his best shot with the P&A cast and, well, we saw how well that stuck.

Nah, webcomic character murders such as that alluded to in this strip, they'd have to be the work of another webcomic character. Maybe Oasis of Sluggy Freelance?

[Kamino Neko]

Maybe Cyndi got loose and decided to travel a bit.

(Oh, man...something just occurred to me. S*P already crosses over with Shortpacked! This strip crosses it with Dumbing of Age, which would put DoA and SP! in the same universe, and...*headsplodes*)

[Twitcher]

My guess for Helen's time at S*P? Helen will be allowed to listen to or take several calls from clients as a litmus test of what she can handle. One of these clients will want to hear the most stomach-turning, degrading things that she could possibly imagine. The identity of this caller will be revealed as:

A. Bob.
B. Elmer.
C. Dirk.
D. The Redneck Tree.
E. Helen's Dad.
F. Someone paid by Aubrey to put the fear of God (or fear of degradation, take your pick) into Helen, and scare her off the phone sex profession for good.

[brasca]

Any speculation as to who it might have been that went on the webcomic murder spree? Alice you are especially fond of Davan and Vanessa's relationship.

I am indeed, since Vanessa is basically meee, but it'd take a LOT more than seeing her leave the strip to drive me to a murder spree. Not to mention that murdering fictional characters is kinda hard (even if they're one's own). DaSolution gave it his best shot with the P&A cast and, well, we saw how well that stuck.

Nah, webcomic character murders such as that alluded to in this strip, they'd have to be the work of another webcomic character. Maybe Oasis of Sluggy Freelance?

Actually the murder spree involved the artists who drew the comics that Randy ends up getting stuck with because they were willed to him. I'm not sure why you would kill those artists since you might be a fan of some of their works, but murder sprees seldom make sense and perhaps they was collateral damage in eliminating the intended targets.

@ Twitcher. Why would Aubrey want to scare Helen away from the phone sex profession? She has a turnover problem as it is. She'll test her to see that she's not squeamish, but beyond that Aubrey doesn't really need to scare anyone straight when she's got Mike for that.